Releasable ski binding

ABSTRACT

A safety ski binding for the toe and/or heel of the boot with a housing mounted on the ski and a movable unit consisting of a generally horizontal holding jaw with a generally vertical portion that reacts against an elastic element within the housing. The binding has means for adjustably compressing the elastic element, whereby to vary the releasing characteristics of the binding. The elastic element is preferably composed of a prism-shaped block of elastic material such as rubber or soft plastic, such element extending across the width of the ski.

United States Patent 1 1 Hildebrand [54] RELEASABLE SKI BINDING [76]Inventor: Kurt Hildebrand, Koetschachtal 33,

Badgastein, Austria [22] Filed: Oct. 6, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 78,348

[52] U.S. Cl. ..280/1l.35 T [51] Int. Cl ..A63c 9/00 [58] Field ofSearch ..280/l1.35 T

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,458,211 7/1969 Marker..280/1 1.35 T

3,563,561 2/1971 Mottet ..280/l 1135 T 2,991,086 7/1961 Woodward.280/1135 T 3,149,854 9/1964 Marker ..280/35 T [11] 3,709,509 1 Jan. 9,1973 Primary Examiner-Benjamin Hersh Assistant ExaminerRobert R. SongAttorney-Alfred W. Vibber [57] ABSTRACT 11 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures L1111M I L, I m

PATENTEDJAN 9 ma SHEET 1 OF 2 Fig.1

F. 2 INVENTOR.

9'- Kurt HILDEBRAND W/MM ATTORNEY PATENTEUJAM 9197a SHEET 2 BF 2 N m w mZN m P I A. Hm

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,0 H 2 m w m INVENTOR. Kurt HILDEBRAND ATTORNEY RELEASABLE SKI BINDINGThe invention relates to a safety ski binding for the toe and/or heel ofa ski boot, with a housing that is mounted on the ski and a movable heeland/or toe gripping unit that reacts against an elastic body. Eachmovable gripping unit contains a generally horizontal holding jaw with agenerally vertical portion.

Prior ski bindings of the type using an elastic material such as rubberhave the disadvantage that the force required to release the binding isdetermined by the elasticity of the elastic element, with little or noadjustment possible. The true function of a safety ski binding isfulfilled only when the release force can be adjusted to the weight andrequirements of each individual skier. An adjustment to cover the fullrange of various skiers weights is necessary to fulfill the purpose ofthe ski safety binding.

The invention provides a ski safety binding which does not have theabove limitations. In a simple and reliable way such binding providesexact release adjustment over a wide range. This is done by anadjustment system in the housing and/or holding jaw which puts theelastic element under pressure. The binding of the present inventionincludes at least one adjustment screw in the housing, by means of whichthe elastic element can be pressed against the holding jaw.

The elastic element may be a prism-shaped block of an elastic materialsuch as rubber, with a generally triangular or trapezoidalcross-section. Such block can be pressed against the holding jaw bymeans of a pressure plate that is approximately vertical and runs acrossthe width of the ski. The pressure plate can be made to pivot at itsupper edge, and is actuated by an adjustment screw forcing the elasticelement against the holding jaw. The lower edge of the pressure plate isbent forward so that the elastic element is held securely between thelower portion of the pressure plate and an upper portion of the holdingjaw.

The elasticity of the elastic element depends mainly upon the type ofmaterial used, and upon its shape. l-loles, notches, or bulges can alsobe used to vary the elasticity of such element. In place of rubbery orelastomeric material, coil or leaf springs may also be used.

In order to make the release adjustment visible, there is a slit in thehousing with scale markings. It is therefore possible to see theposition of the pressure plate at all settings. To allow adapting thebinding to all shoe sole thicknesses, the holding jaw can be fitted witha screw providing for vertical adjustment. At least one binding can beprovided with a means for sliding it longitudinally to fit various bootsizes.

The holding jaw is contoured to fit the boot and rests on the sole. Anadvantageous feature of the invention, which centers the shoe preciselyon the ski and allows the boot to return to its original position whenabsorbing shocks not strong enough to cause release, is the V- shapednotch in the middle of the holding jaw facing the boot, which is engagedby a triangular projection in the middle of the toe and/or heel of theboot. The projection may consist of a screw with a triangular head.

Another advantageous feature of the invention is the projection on thevertical side of the housing facing the shoe which may be fitted with anadjusting screw and serves to prevent the shoe from moving forward orbackward under stress, which would affect the release setting.

Other advantages of the binding of the invention are evident in itssimple and inexpensive construction, and its reliable function. It iseasy to adjust and can quickly be fitted to boots of all sizes andshapes. It will release universally without changing the boot sole oradding metal plates. An important advantage is that it is not sensitiveto icing since it has no open coil springs; due to the small area ofcontact during release, friction is low with a minimal differencebetween wet or dry snow conditions. Its form lends itself readily to itsbeing molded of strong, tough plastic for inexpensive mass production.

Further details and advantages will be apparent upon consideration ofthe following description of a preferred embodiment, shown in theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the illustrativeembodiment of the ski binding of the invention holding a shoe to a ski,central longitudinal portions of the shoe and ski being omitted foreconomy of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a view in longitudinal vertical cross-section of the assemblyshown in FIG. 1, certain of the parts being shown in elevation.

In the drawings there is shown a ski binding in accordance with theinvention attached to a ski l with the binding 2a holding the'toe of aski boot 22 and a binding 2b holding the heel of the boot 22. Partswhich are similar in the toe binding 2a and the heel binding 2b aredesignated by the same reference characters.

The toe binding 2a consists of a housing 3 which is mounted on ski 1 bymeans of flange 4 and screws 5. Housing 3 contains a prism-shapedelastic body 6 with a generally trapezoidal longitudinal verticalcross-section which can be pressed against the vertical part 10a of ahorizontal jaw 10 by means of an adjusting screw 7 threaded in housing 3and acting on a pressure plate 9 which is pivotally connected to housing3 at its upper end, in FIG. 1 the plate 9 is visible only in slit 8. Inorder to adjust the height of holding'jaw 10b in each of assemblies 2aand 2b to fit various sole and heel thicknesses, respectively, there isin housing 3 and sliding within vertical portion 10a of horizontal jaw10, a flat adjusting plate 11 with the lower portion 11a bent upwards tohook under front face 3a of housing 3 to keep it from pulling out. Thehorizontal jaw 10 is constantly urged counterclockwise (FIG. 3), aboutthe bearing formed of parts 3a and 11a, by the compressed elastomericmember or element 6. The upper part of adjusting plate 11 has a portion1 lb which is bent into a closed rectangular formation the upper andlower walls of which are threaded to contain screw 12 that in turn fitsthrough a hole in the top of horizontal jaw 10. Screw 12 is held inplace against substantial vertical movement with respect to jaw 10b byflat retaining clip 12a. By turning screw 12, holding jaw 10b can beadjusted vertically.

The elastic body 6 is thicker at its base or lower end than its upperend. The lower end of body 6 is shaped to interfit with the lower end ofpressure plate 9 and the ledge 9a bent at generally right angles withrespect to main portion of plate to provide supporting ledge for body 6.The remainder of body 6, spaced from plate 9 and ledge 9a is generallytriangular in vertical section longitudinally of the length of the skibinding, that is, longitudinally of the length of the ski. Such triangleis disposed at an acute angle with respect to the main portion ofpressure plate 9 and to the vertical portion 10a of the jaw, the narrowangled apex of the body 6 engaging portion 10a midway of the height ofthe latter.

To make the front binding easier to open, horizontal jaw 10 is extendedto form lever 13 and contains depression 14 for the tip of the ski pole.Projection 15 on the front side 3a of housing 3 is threaded to containan adjustable positioning screw 16 which serves as a stop to define theforward position of the boot 22 relative to holding jaw 10b.

The binding for the heel of the shoe 22 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 anddesignated 2b is also shown in FIG. 3 in cross-section and consistsmainly of the same parts as toe binding 2a. As above-noted,corresponding parts thus have the same designations. In order to adaptthe binding to many shoe sizes, rear binding 2b is movablelongitudinally along the ski length. This is accomplished simply bymeans of slots 17 in flanges 4 or housing 3 through which mountingscrews fasten it to the ski 1. Assembly 2b is provided with anadjustable stop screw 16; the forward and rear stop screws 16 areadjusted to receive the ski boot 22 between them, as shown. The heelbinding 2b provides a loop 18 for safety straps 19. The jaw of assembly2b is constantly urged clockwise (FIG. 3) against the heel of a ski bootby compressed element 6, which tends to turn the jaw about the bearing30, Ila.

An easy method of stepping into the binding is achieved by the provisionof the concave sloping upper portion of holding jaw 10b facing the bootheel. The boot is placed in the binding as follows: The toe of the bootis first put into place, and the heel is placed against the concavesloping face of holding jaw 10b and pressed downward, causing a wedgingaction which forces horizontal jaw 10 back until holding jaw 10b restson the heel of the boot. The binding can be opened by pressing downwardon the lever 13 of the toe binding 2a.

An especially advantageous feature of the invention, which is importantto its exact release, is the V-shaped notch 21. Such notch is shown inFIG. 2 in the middle of holding jaw 10b, which is engaged by projection23 that is fastened to the upper edge of the shoe sole. This projection23 can be in the form of a screw with a triangular head.

The releasing force of the safety binding of the invention can be variedover a wide range by turning adjustment screw 7, thereby causingpressure plate 9 to pivot, compressing or releasing elastic element 6depending upon the direction of turning of screw 7. Should the normallyavailable adjustment range be inadequate, as for instance in making asafety binding for adults suitable for children, then the elasticelement can easily be changed to provide one with different elasticproper ties, so that a different release range will be achieved.

Forces acting on the bindings may cause the horizontal jaw 10 to yieldbriefly, but due to the function of the notch 21 together withtriangular projection 23, the boot will not be released until thepredetermined setting is exceeded.

The main parts of the safety binding of the invention, such as housing 3and horizontal jaw 10, can be made out of a hard, strong, and toughplastic, thus simplifying production and reducing the cost of thebinding.

A further advantage of the safety binding of the invention is itsunusually simple construction that enables it to be quickly adapted toall requirements. The use of an easily changeable elastic element madeof readily available rubber or other elastic material allows a widerange of release settings to be attained. Contrary to known bindingsthat require metal plates on the toe and heel of the boot in order toachieve release in all directions, these plates are not necessary withthis invention.

Although the invention is illustrated and described with reference toone preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be expressly understood thatit is in no way limited to the disclosure of such a preferredembodiment, but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1'. A safety ski binding for the toe and/or heel of a ski boot,comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on a ski, and a movable unitconsisting of a generally horizontal boot-holding jaw with a generallyvertical portion, means pivotally connecting the jaw to the housing, anelastic element acting between the vertical portion of the jaw and anabutment mounted on the housing and urging the jaw in a boot-grippingdirection, means pivotally connecting the vertical portion of the jawadjacent its lower end to the housing, the elastic element being placedin compression between the vertical portion of the jaw and the abutment,the abutment being adjustable, whereby the elastic element can bevariably pressed against the holding jaw, the abutment being a pressureplate having a main portion that is generally vertical and extends inthe direction of the width of the ski, and comprising means pivotallyconnecting the pressure plate adjacent one end thereof to the housing.

2. A safety ski binding as in claim 1, wherein the elastic element iscomposed of a prism-shaped block of elastomeric material.

3. A safety ski binding as in claim 1, wherein the pressure plate isdisposed generally vertically and is pivoted at its upper edge, andcomprising an adjustment screw for pivoting the pressure plate to varythe compression of the elastic element.

4. A safety ski binding as in claim 3, wherein the pressure plate hasits lower edge bent to lie generally horizontal to furnish a supportingledge for the elastic element.

5. A safety ski binding as in claim 4, wherein the plastic element is ablock of elastomeric material which is generally triangular in verticalsection longitudinally of the ski, the thicker end of the elasticelement engaging and being supported by the lower end of the mainvertical portion of the pressure plate and the supporting ledge thereon,and the thinner end of the elastic element engaging the vertical portionof the jaw at a location spaced from its lower end.

6. A safety ski binding as in claim 3, wherein the elastic element isdisposed at an acute angle with respect to the main portion of thepressure plate and to the vertical portion of the jaw.

7. A safety ski binding as in claim 1, wherein the elastic element has agenerally trapezoidal cross-section.

8. A safety ski binding as in claim 1, wherein the housing has a slitwith scale markings to show the adjusted position of the pressure plate.

9. A safety ski binding as in claim 1, wherein the side of the holdingjaw facing the boot has a notch in the middle which is adapted toreceive a projection on the boot.

10. A safety ski binding as in claim 9, wherein the projection consistsof a head of a screw attached to the boot.

11. A safety ski binding for the toe and/or heel of a ski boot,comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on a ski, and a movable unitconsisting of a generally horizontal boot-holding jaw with a generallyvertical portion, means pivotally connecting the jaw to the housing, anelastic element acting between the vertical portion of the jaw and anabutment mounted on the housing and urging the jaw in a boot-grippingdirection, and a screw aligned with the length of the boot adjustablythreaded into the end of the housing, and a boot-engaging andpositioning abutment disposed outwardly of the housing on the end of thescrew facing the boot.

1. A safety ski binding for the toe and/or heel of a ski boot,comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on a ski, and a movable unitconsisting of a generally horizontal boot-holding jaw with a generallyvertical portion, means pivotally connecting the jaw to the housing, anelastic element acting between the vertical portion of the jaw and anabutment mounted on the housing and urging the jaw in a boot-grippingdirection, means pivotally connecting the vertical portion of the jawadjacent its lower end to the housing, the elastic element being placedin compression between the vertical portion of the jaw and the abutment,the abutment being adjustable, whereby the elastic element can bevariably pressed against the holding jaw, the abutment being a pressureplate having a main portion that is generally vertical and extends inthe direction of the width of the ski, and comprising means pivotallyconnecting the pressure plate adjacent one end thereof to the housing.2. A safety ski binding as in claim 1, wherein the elastic element iscomposed of a prism-shaped block of elastomeric material.
 3. A safetyski binding as in claim 1, wherein the pressure plate is disposedgenerally vertically and is pivoted at its upper edge, and comprising anadjustment screw for pivoting the pressure plate to vary the compressionof the elastic element.
 4. A safety ski binding as in claim 3, whereinthe pressure plate has its lower edge bent to lie generally horizontalto furnish a supporting ledge for the elastic element.
 5. A safety skibinding as in claim 4, wherein the plastic element is a block ofelastomeric material which is generally triangular in vertical sectionlongitudinally of the ski, the thicker end of the elastic elementengaging and being supported by the lower end of the main verticalportion of the pressure plate and the supporting ledge thereon, and thethinner end of the elastic element engaging the vertical portion of thejaw at a location spaced from its lower end.
 6. A safety ski binding asin claim 3, wherein the elastic element is disposed at an acute anglewith respect to the main portion of the pressure plate and to thevertical portion of the jaw.
 7. A safety ski binding as in claim 1,wherein the elastic element has a generally trapezoidal cross-section.8. A safety ski binding as in claim 1, wherein the housing has a slitwith scale markings to show the adjusted position of the pressure plate.9. A safety ski binding as in claim 1, wherein the side of the holdingjaw facing the boot has a notch in the middle which is adapted toreceive a projection on the boot.
 10. A safety ski binding as in claim9, wherein the projection consists of a head of a screw attached to theboot.
 11. A safety ski binding for the toe and/or heel of a ski boot,comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on a ski, and a movable unitconsisting of a generally horizontal boot-holding jaw with a generallyvertical portion, means pivotally connecting the jaw to the housing, anelastic element acting between the vertical portion of the jaw and anabutment mounted on the housing and urging the jaw in a boot-grippingdirection, and a screw aligned with the length of the boot adjustablythreaded into the end of the housing, and a boot-engaging andpositioning abutment disposed outwardly of the housing on the end of thescrew facing the boot.